Spring 2001     

Dr. Rachela Permenter,   Slippery Rock University   

Course Requirements
Basis for Grades     

Film Links:

Internet Movie Database   Independent Film Channel

 The Wheel: Media, Music, Film, TV, and Theatre (Movie database, and more)

  Cannes Awards      Sundance Awards    

 The Making of Citizen Kane      

Cinema Sites (Excellent index with links to many webpages)

Screensite: Film & TV Studies  (Best academic resource - requires password)     Boyz N the Hood

   Lucy Jordan Lyrics    -- in Thelma & Louise       Johnny Depp     Dead Man

Roger Ebert's Top 20 Movie Sites             American Beauty  (Links to Reviews)      Schindler's List

 Simulacra and Simulation. Jean Baudrillard.      The Matrix  (Links to Reviews)     whatisthematrix.com

Text: Understanding Movies. Louis Giannetti. Prentice Hall, 8th ed.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLETING THE READING ASSIGNMENTS BEFORE CLASS ON DAYS LISTED . (Read all photo captions on pages assigned and those listed separately.)

THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE MAY BE MODIFIED:

F 12 Jan. Intro to course.

M 15 Jan.   No Class.  Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 
T 16 Jan. Film Viewing: Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942) 5-7 pm
W 17 Jan.  Photo captions 1-4 and 1-5 (pp. 6 & 7); "The Shots," "The Angles," "Light and Dark," "Color," pp. 10-27; Photo caption 9-4 (p. 366) 
F 19 Jan. Card Quiz
M 22 Jan.  "Lenses," pp. 26-32; "Mise en scène:," "The Frame," pp. 41-54; photo caption 7-24 (p. 313)
T 23 Jan. Film Viewing: The Matrix (Andrew & Larry Wachowski, 1999)
W 24 Jan.  Card Quiz
F 26 Jan.  The Science Fiction Film (2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Blade Runner) 

21st Century Special: 20 pts. extra credit for viewing and taking a card quiz on 2001 (Stanley Kubric, 1968)The Matrix

M 29 Jan.  "Composition and Design," pp. 54-63
T 30 Jan. Film Viewing: Fargo (Ethan and Joel Coen, 1996)
W 31 Jan. Card Quiz
F 2 Feb. Optional: Drop-in, conferences, film clips & shorts

M 5 Feb.  "Territorial Space," pp. 64-66; Photo captions 2_24a, 2_24b, 2_25a, 2-25b, 2-26b, 2-27; "Territorial Space," (cont.), pp. 71-73; "Open and Closed Forms," 80-86; Photo caption 8-26c (p. 352)
 T 6 Feb. Film Viewing: The Graduate (Mike Nichols, 1967)
W 7 Feb.  Card Quiz
F 9 Feb.  Optional: Drop-in, conferences, film clips & shorts
M 12 Feb. "Movement," 95-101; Photo captions 3-13, 3-14 (p. 106-107); "The Moving Camera," pp. 108_120.
W 14 Feb. "Mechanical Distortions of Movement," 120-29
F 16 Feb. EXAM #1

 M 19 Feb. "Editing," 132-50
T 20 Feb. Film Viewing: Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)
W 21 Feb. "Editing," 150-74 
 F 23 Feb.  Citizen Kane (cont.)  Card Quiz

M 26 Feb. "Synthesis, Citizen Kane," Chapter 12
T 27 Feb. Film Viewing: Schindler’s List (Steven Spielberg, 1993)
W 28 Feb.  Schindler’s List; "Writing," 380-89
F 2 Mar. No Regular Class.

M 5 Mar. EXAM #2
W 7 Mar. Optional: Drop-in, conferences, film clips & shorts

 Spring Break (Mid-semester Recess): Wed., 7 Mar., 5 p.m. - Mon., 19 Mar., 8 a.m.

M 19 Mar. "Ideology," 395-411
T 20 Mar. Film Viewing: Thelma & Louise (Ridley Scott, 1991)
  W 21 Mar. Card Quiz; "Ideology," 419-436; Photo captions 10-15, 10-17a, 10-17b, 1018, 10-20a (414-418) 
F 23 Mar. Optional: Drop-in, conferences, film clips & shorts

M 26 Mar. Read handouts & webpage on American Beauty
   T 27 Mar. Film Viewing: American Beauty (Sam Mendes, 1999) 
W 28 Mar. Card Quiz 
F 30 Mar. Optional: Drop-in, conferences, film clips & shorts
M 2 Apr. Read handouts & webpage on Dead Man
T 3 Apr. Film Viewing: Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch, )
W 4 Apr. Card Quiz
F 6 Apr. Optional: Drop-in, conferences, film clips & shorts
M 9 Apr. Review Presentations
 W 11 Apr. Review Presentations
Spring Weekend: Wed., 11 Apr., 10 p.m. - Mon., 16 Apr., 8 a.m.

M 16 Apr. Read handouts & webpage on Love Serenade. Review Summaries Due
 T 18 Apr. Film Viewing: Love Serenade (Shirley Barrett, 1996) or To Be Announced
W 18 Apr. Card Quiz
 F 20 Apr. Optional: Drop-in, conferences, film clips & shorts

M 23 Apr. Read handouts & webpage on Boyz N the Hood
T 24 Apr. Film Viewing: Boyz N the Hood (John Singleton, 1991)
W 25 Apr. Card Quiz
F 27 Apr. Optional: Drop-in, conferences, film clips & shorts

M 30 Apr. Read handouts & webpage on Cinema Paradiso
T 1 May Film Viewing: Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988)
W 2 May Card Quiz
F 4 May Optional: Drop-in, conferences, film clips & shorts

May 7-11 Finals Week Take-home due and short in-class exam at scheduled time

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1. Class attendance for all scheduled meetings and viewing of all films.

2. Three examinations. (Exams 1 & 2 will be objective and short answer; exam 3 will be a critical essay due at class meeting and a brief short answer exam)

3. Ten (10) Card Quizzes. These are short and to the point, on 4x6 cards. Designed to motivate your keeping up with film viewings and reading assignments and to give you an opportunity to ask a pertinent question or two, give a short opinion or two.

4. Summaries and photocopies of five reviews of any of this semester's films (may be 3-5 different films).

5. CHOOSE ONE:

Production of a short video (3_6 minutes), preferably by a group effort, but individual projects accepted

Shot_by_shot analysis, by group or individual (approximately 10 shots for an individual, 45 shots for a group, but this length must vary depending on the nature of the film clip and size of the group)

Review Presentation of one film (1-3 students)

Film Journal: 1 ½ typed pages of personal and critical comments about six (6) of the course’s films, including evidence of occasional research (turned in at midterm and at end of course)

 

BASIS FOR GRADES:

Final grades for this course will be assessed by your percentage of points.
Scale: 90-100% = A
80-90% = B
70-79% = C
62-69% = D
 0_61% = F

Exams (3) 100 pts. each. . . 300 pts.
Card Quizzes (10) 10 pts. each. . . .100 pts.
Review Summaries (5) . . .100 pts.
Video Production, shot_by_shot analysis, group review, or journal. . .100 pts.
TOTAL: 600 pts.

Late Work: For each day an assignment is late (due dates will vary for each group), 10% of pts. will be deducted (approximately one letter grade). For each class session a presentation is late, 10% of pts. will be deducted. In_class exams may not be made up without a documented excuse.

Absence: Absence and tardiness are strongly discouraged. For each unexcused absence above three, 25 points will be deducted from your final grade. Absences beyond three will be excused only if documentation from a dean or medical doctor is provided. Card quizzes may not be made up, but documentation will excuse the required points for that quiz.

Conferences: You are heartily encouraged to visit the instructor during office hours, by appointment, and on specified Fridays to discuss assignments, films, grading, presentations, papers, journals, etc. Take the initiative to arrange this.

Academy Awards - Best Picture

1999 AMERICAN BEAUTY 

1998 SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE 

1997 TITANIC 

1996 THE ENGLISH PATIENT 

1995 BRAVEHEART 

1994 FORREST GUMP 

1993 SCHINDLER'S LIST

1992 UNFORGIVEN 

1991 THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS 

1990 DANCES WITH WOLVES 

1989 DRIVING MISS DAISY 

1988 RAIN MAN 

1987 THE LAST EMPEROR 

1986 PLATOON 

1985 OUT OF AFRICA 

1984 AMADEUS 

1983 TERMS OF ENDEARMENT 

1982 GANDHI 

1981 CHARIOTS OF FIRE 

1980 ORDINARY PEOPLE 

1979 KRAMER VS. KRAMER 

1978 THE DEER HUNTER  

1977 ANNIE HALL

1976 ROCKY 

1975 ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST 

1974 THE GODFATHER PART II 

1973 THE STING 

1972 THE GODFATHER 

1955 MARTY 

1954 ON THE WATERFRONT

1943  CASABLANCA

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Last updated on 10 Jan. 2001